Actuating means for rail lubricating pumps



Dec. 6, 1949 s. E. BATES 2,499,334

ACTUATING MEANS FOR RAIL LUBRIGATING PUMPS Filed Jan. 30, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 r INVENTOR.

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Dec. 6, 1949 s. E. BATES 2,490,334

ACTUA'I'ING MEANS FOR RAIL LUBRICA'I'ING PUMPS i5 my Dec. 6, 1949 s. E. BATES 2,490,334

ACTUATING MEANS FOR RAIL LUBRICATING PUMPS Filed Jan. 30, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a K e2 46 1'9 ffialm' I I INVENTOR. J6

Patented Dec. 6, 1949 ACTUATING MEANS FOR RAIL LUBRI- CATING PUMP-S Sidney E. Bates, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Poor & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application January 30, 1948, Serial No. 5,296

4 Claims.

This invention relates to track lubricators for automatically supplying lubricant to the gage sides of the heads of railway rails to reduce wear and noise caused by wheel flange wiping thereagainst, and has particular reference to improvements in actuating means for the lubricant pumps.

Railway rails partake of vertical, undulating motion due to the passage of rolling stock over the same, and it is known, as disclosed, for example Warr Patent No. 1,868,647, to provide means to convert this inherent rail motion into rotary motion of pump actuating shafting.

It is also known, as disclosed for example in my prior application, Serial No. 681,626, to provide means to convert the relative vertical motion between a rail and a tie plate or other fixed element into reciprocating motion of a pump actuating rod or shaft.

To utilize the relative vertical motion between a rail and a tie plate for pump actuation is advantageous for various reasons over utilizing merely the inherent vertical motion of a rail for the same purpose. However, it is also advantageous to employ rotary means as distinguished from reciprocating means, to transmit motion between a pump actuating means and a pump.

Accordingly, the general object of the invention is to provide a pump actuating means which advantageously derives its motion from the relative vertical motion between a rail and a tie plate or other fixed element, and which is effective to carry forward the features and motion advantages of rotary motion of the means through which its motion is transmitted to the pump.

Other objects of the invention are: to provide a simple, practical, efficient, compact, housed and protected means which extends parallel to the rail, adjacent thereto, for converting therelative vertical motion between the rail and a tie plate or other fixed element into rotary motion of shafting, or the like, for operating the pump; to providesimple, practical, readily accessible, adjustable means forvarying the amount of motion transmitted to the pump as a result oi each relative vertical movement between the rail and the tie plate or other fixed element to regulate the amount of lubricant delivered by the pump; and to so construct and arrange said pump actuating means that the same is disposed well above the upper surface of the track ballast, whereby any danger of the latter, or of snow or ice which may acumulate thereon, ever interfering in any way with operation of said means is effectively avoided.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in a pump actuating means embodying the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanyin drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views:

Figure l is a top plan view of a portion of a railway track showing one practical form of the present pump actuating means mounted upon-a rail and connected to a lubricant pump.

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the rail-carried housing with its cover plate removed to show the parts contained therein.

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it designates a railway tie, ll designates a tie plate superimposed thereon, l2 designates a rail superimposed upon said tie plate, and i3 designates a lubricant reservoir sunk into the ground at a location suitably spaced from the track and containing a pump l4 for efiecting delivery of lubricant therefrom to a suitable distributor (not shown) which is understoodto be mounted upon the rail 12, or upon another rail, in accordance with known practice, to deliver the lubricant at points to be picked up by the flanges of locomotive and car wheels and distributed by the latter along the gage side of the, head of the rail.

Thepump M may be of any suitable rotary type and includes a rotary drive shaft i5 which is operated by the means constituting the present invention.

The means constituting the present invention includes an elongated, narrow-width housing [6 provided at its inner side with a jaw formation I! to receive a base flange I8 of the rail i2 and with suitable clamp means I9 for drawing it toward and into rigidassembly with the rail, whereby it is constrained to move vertically with the raii as the latter partalres of its vertical undulating or so-called wave motion due to the passage of rolling stock over the same.

The housing I6 extends longitudinally relative to the rail I2 and has therein and extendin longitudinally thereof, a two-arm lever which is suitably pivoted for rocking movements in a vertical plane. To pivotally mount said lever the same may be provided, for example, with horizontally disposed, transversely extending trunnions 2| which may be journaled in suitable bearings in the inner and the outer side walls of the housing IS, the outer side walls of said housing being comprised, for example, by a cover plate 22 which is removable to afford access to said housing.

The pivot of the lever 20 is adjacent to one end of said lever whereby the two arms 23 and 24 of the latter are long and short, respectively. Beneath and acting constantly upwardly against the long arm 23 of said lever is a suitable spring 25, while interposed between the short arm 24 of said lever and a fixed support comprised in the present instance by the tie plate II, is a rod 28. It is apparent, therefore, that if, due to vertical wave motion of the rail I2, the portion thereof which carries the housing I6 and the lever 20 should rise from the tie plate II, the short arm 24 of said lever will not be held against downward movement by the rod 26 and the tie plate I I and, therefore, said lever will be rotated in one direction by the spring 25. Conversely, it will be equally apparent that upon subsequent downward movement of said portion of the rail relative to the tie plate, the rod 26 will hold the short arm 24 of the lever 20 against downward movement and therefore the downward movement of the lever 20 as a whole with the rail will result in said lever being rotated in the opposite direction. In short, it will be apparent that in response to vertical movements relative to the tie plate II of that portion of the rail which carries the housing I6 and the lever 20, said lever will be rocked or oscillated.

An adjustable screw 21 may be provided in the top wall of the housing I6 to limit upward swinging movement of the long arm 23 of the lever 20, while in the bottom wall of said housing may be threaded a screw 28 for regulating the strength of the spring 25. Moreover, in the shorter arm 24 of the lever 20 may be threaded a screw 29 to serve as an adjustable abutment for the upper end of the rod 26. In this connection and as will be understood, the adjustments afforded by the screws 21 and 29 enable the amplitude of oscillation of the lever 20 readily to be regulated regardless of the amplitude of the relative vertical movement between any particular rail and the tie plate or equivalent fixed element I I. Further in this connection it will be noted that the jaw formation I7 is of a size to receive a rail of maximum weight or size so that the housing I9 may readily be mounted upon lighter or smaller size rails simply by the use of suitable shims 30.

Extending transversely of the housing I6 below the free end portion of the longer arm 23 of the lever 20 and mounted for rotation in suitable bearings in the inner and the outer side walls of said housing, is a horizontal shaft 3| upon which is rotatably mounted a ratchet arm 32 and to which is keyed or otherwise suitably fixed a ratchet wheel 33.

The free end portion of the longer arm 23 of the lever 20 is connected to the ratchet arm 32 by a link or links 34, whereby said ratchet arm is rocked or oscillated about the shaft 3| in response to rocking movements of the lever 20, while carried by said ratchet arm 32 is a pawl 35 which cooperates with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 33, whereby said ratchet wheel and, consequently, the shaft 3| are rotated intermittently in a single direction in response to rocking movements of the lever 20 and the ratchet arm 32. In this connection, in order to hold the ratchet wheel 33 and the shaft 3| against reverse rotation during idling, upward movements of the long arm 23 of the lever 20, a holding pawl 36 is provided for cooperation with the ratchet wheel 33.

At a side of the lubricant reservoir I3 is a chamber 31 in the upper part of which is journaled a horizontal shaft 38 and into the lower part of which extends the shaft I5 of the pump I4. On the shafts 38 and I5 are sprocket wheels 39 and 40, respectively, which are connected together by a sprocket chain 4| whereby the pump I4 is driven in response to rotation of the shaft 38. Alternatively, the shaft 38 may be connected directly or in any other suitable manner with the pump I4 for driving the same. In any event, the shafts 3| and 38 are alined, or approximately alined, with each other and are connected together by an intermediate shaft 42 whereby the shaft 3| is effective to drive the shaft 38 and the pump I4.

The intermediate shaft 42 is composed of a pair of telescoped, splined sections 42 and 42*, respectively, which are connected with the shafts 3| and 38 by universal joints 43 and 44, respectively. Thus, even though the distance between the shafts 3| and 38 may change for any reason, as, for example, because of shifting of the track or of the lubricant reservoir, or if, for any reason, the shafts 3| and 38 may become more or less disalined, the operative driving connection between said shafts will be maintained.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: As locomotive or car wheels pass over the rail I2 and produce relative vertical movement between the tie plate I I and that portion of the rail which carries the housing It and the lever 20, the said lever will be rocked or oscillated and for each rocking or oscillation of the same an increment of rotation will be imparted through the ratchet mechanism to the shaft 3I and, hence, to the pump I4 with the result that a small amount of lubricant will be delivered by the latter to the rail to be lubricated.

As will be apparent, the present pump actuating means will operate positively and smoothly in response to relative vertical movement between the rail and the tie plate or equivalent element II and without dstructive inertia shocks and jars such as are produced in an actuating means of the type wherein the pump is operated by a reciprocating rod. It will further be apparent that, except for the connection between the shafts 3| and 38, all parts of the present actuating means are housed and protected and may be maintained well lubricated because the housing I6 may be filled with a suitable lubricant. In addition, it will be apparent that all operating parts of the present actuating means are disposed well above the level of the track ballast so that they are extremely unlikely to be adversely affected by the latter or by accumulations of snow or ice thereon.

Preferably, but not necessarily, a suitable spring 45 is provided to urge the rod 26 constantly upwardly and thus maintain its upper end engaged with the adjusting screw 29, thus to avoid rattling of said rod in the event the distance between the lower end of said screw 29 and the top of the tie plate should at any time exceed the length of said rod. The spring 4'5 may be a coil spring surrounding the rod 26 and reacting from the bottom of the housing l6 upwardly against a shoulder 46 on said rod.

Without further description it is believed that the construction and operation of the present pump actuating means will be clearly understood and its advantages appreciated. It is desired to point out, however, that while only a single, specific structural embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, the same is readily capable of specifically different structure embodiments within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Actuating means for a device to be operated, said means comprising a two-arm lever, means mounting said lever upon a railway rail at a side thereof between horizontal planes including the top and the bottom faces of the rail for vertical movements therewith, spring means tending constantly to rock said lever in one direction, a fixed support, a connection between one arm of said lever and said fixed support whereby relative vertical movement between the rail and said support results in rocking of said lever in the opposite direction, a rotatable shaft, a connection between said lever and said shaft whereby the latter is rotated intermittently in a single direction in response to rocking movements of said lever, and a driving connection between said shaft and the device to be operated.

2. Actuating means for a device to be operated, said means comprising a two-arm lever disposed parallel to a railway rail adjacent to a side thereof and mounted thereon between horizontal planes including the top and the bottom faces of the rail to move vertically therewith, a fixed support, spring means efiective to rock said lever in one direction upon upward movement of the rail relative to said support, said support sustaining one arm of said lever against downward movement whereby downward movement of the rail relative to said suport produces rocking movement of said lever in the opposite direction, a rotatable shaft, a connection between said lever and said shaft whereby the latter is rotated intermittently in a single direction in response to rocking movements of said lever, and a driving connection between said shaft and the device to be operated.

3. Actuating means for a device to be operated, said means comprising a housing, means mounting said housing rigidly upon a railway rail at a side thereof above the ballast of the railway for vertical movements therewith, a two-arm lever mounted in said housing for vertical movements therewith, a fixed support, spring means in said housing effective to rock said lever in one direction upon upward movement of the rail relative to said support, said support sustaining one arm of said lever against downward movement where by downward movement of the rail and said housing and said lever relative to said support produces rocking movement of said lever in the opposite direction, a rotatable shaft extending into said housing, a ratchet connection in said housing between said lever and said shaft whereby the latter is rotated intermittently in a single direction in response to rocking movements of said lever, and a driving connection between said shaft and the device to be operated.

4. Actuating means for a device to be operated, said means comprising a housing, means mounting said housing rigidly upon a railway rail at a side thereof above the ballast of the railway for vertical movements therewith, a two-arm lever mounted in said housing parallel to the rail for vertical movements with said housing and said rail and for rocking movements in a vertical plane, a fixed support, spring means in said housing effective to rock said lever in one direction upon upward movement of the rail relative to said support, said support sustaining one arm of said lever against downward movement whereby downward movement of the rail and said housing and said lever relative to said support produces rocking movement of said lever in the opposite direction, a rotatable shaft extending into said housing, a ratchet connection within said housing between said lever and said shaft whereby the latter is rotated intermittently in a single direction in response to rocking movements of said lever, and a driving connection between said shaft and the device to be driven.

SIDNEY E. BATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,868,647 Warr July 26, 1932 1,930,400 Stilwell Oct. 10, 1933 2,027,227 Gray Jan. 7, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,632 Great Britain Oct. 24, 1908 

